The present invention relates generally to micro-electro mechanical systems and more specifically to a structure that can alter the propagation characteristics of transmission lines in micro-circuits through the modification of local permittivity.
In microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), a great variety of techniques exist to form movable structures that may be co-integrated with electrical interconnection and device structures. Thermal actuators, which can be built in a number of traditional MEMS technologies, can produce lateral motion using simple structures. Prior Act in this technology is disclosed in the following U.S. patents, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference: U.S. Pat. No. 6,232,841 issued to Bartlett; U.S. Pat. No. 4,719,429 issued to Ikezi; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,032,805 issued to Elmer. While the above-cited references are instructive, a need remains to be able to adjust propagation characteristics in MEMS transmission lines. The present invention is intended to satisfy that need.